I would like to comment on the recent reports highlighting the continuing problem of systematic domestic violence in New Zealand. A couple of weekends ago there was a feature in the Weekend Herald on domestic and family violence. The story makes for a dissapointing read – basically because there is no story. The article merely presents the statistics, discusses various measurement problems with those statistics and advises on how they can be best interpreted – i.e. conservatively. The focus remains safely on measurement, not the substantive problem. The article talks to a couple of key women involved in supporting or counteracting the violence. These women I’m sure do incredible and necessary work – but they are the usual suspects to be consulted. Furthermore, the accompanying picture of a forlorn, passive looking woman with a stage make-up bruise seems to misrepresent or perhaps underrepresent the nature of the problem. Is the nature of domestic violence really captured by a picture of a woman with a black eye?
I think what is also missing from this and other reports like it is discussion of the initiatives to prevent domestic violence which men are involved in. We hear little about mens organisations to conbat this violence in NZ or even overseas initiatives involving men. Of course this is in large part becuae there are relatively few. But they do exist and are growing. The White Ribbon campaign which started in Canada and now has presence here and in many other countries is an example. Perhaps journalists could think outside the box a bit and key into emerging movements like these.
Many men’s reticence on the issue of domestic violence and the lack of institutional support structures in society for men or men’s groups mean that the burden of analsyisng and investigating gender based violence is carried by women and women’s organisations. But this problem is not going to go away until men and masculinities are brought into analysis. Some campaigns in the media are slowly starting to do this through the use of celebrity – a great step. However, there is still perhaps a lack of understanding about routinely addressing the issue as a men’s as well as a women’s issue. The picture accompanying the article I think also demonstrates a lack of udnerstanding of the contextual, relational nature of violence.
A Mexican researcher Juan Carlos Ramirez Rodrigeuz argues that when men are approached to talk about their violence against their partners and children it is often perceived to be confrontational. To aviod this in his own work (in Mexico) he has used a narrative approach. He lets the men tell their stories and allows the issue of violence to come up ‘naturally’ in the flow of their dialogue about their lives. This gives better results on how the men perceive, manage and justify their violence and at the same time does not separate their acts from the broader context of thier lives.
He says “I believe we need to capture the relationships that are constantly in flux, and that are shaped by other linkages – to other men, to one’s original family, to the workplace, to sons and daughters, and to institutionalised discourses, whether firmly established or only nascent” (referene below).
I think approaching the problem this way allows us to see gender as a relational concept, not as something that women and men have. I think this sort of approach allows us to see better that men and women are gendered. Perhaps this way we can start to take for granted much less the masculine foundations of our society, many of which condone the manhy forms of violence against women.
I know there is a lot of work around masculinities and violence in some quarters, I just wish the mainstream media would get a bit more savvy. But a commercially owned press is not a free press, I suppose – but debating statistics under the guise of true analysis of a crucial social issue is disappointing.
Finally and importantly, I would like to paraphrase masculinities expert Robert Connell in saying that although statistically most violence in society is perpetrated by men, this does not mean all men are violent. Having said that at the level of the UN Violence Against Women is treated as a serious issue of ‘epidemic’ proportions. There are many UN sites dealing with it, but take a look at
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/index.html
should give a few leads.
megan
Rodrigeuz, J., 2006. Revisioning Male Violence in Men of the Global South: a reader (ed) Jones, A. London: Zed Books pp67-71.
I had a similar reponse to this piece Megan, and agree with you on all the points you made. I was struck by the determinedly positive spin that the Herald put on the increase in domestic violence statistics. For instance, the journalist byline reads: ‘Chris Barton discovers that the soaring numbers of domestic violence cases being reported is not necessarily bad news’ and later in the piece ‘Family violence isn’t increasing. What is happening is that the hidden part of the iceberg is coming to the surface [through better/different reporting systems]’. This is despite the testimony of those women working in the field that actually domestic violence is under-reported and the figures are likely much worse. And as for this claim: ‘women are equally likely to be perpetrators and victims of violence in intimate relationships’. Equally?? Give me a break!
As Megan points out, the article privileges what is a random collection of ‘scientific’ survey data with little critical exploration of how these figures are presented, just that measurement is ‘difficult’ and ‘contentious’. And, as Megan says, surely reporting on what is actually going on out in the community to combat domestic violence would make a more interesting story?
What do 213 students think of Megan’s discussion of men and masculinities in relation to domestic violence, given the Thursday’s lecture on exactly that topic? I look forward to hearing your response!
Speaking of statistics, here is a link to an interesting US story I got through on a peace and security listserv. The story argues that the same societies which are deemed peaeful according to internal crime statistics etc may still contain high levels of violence or discriminaiton against women and or children. Certainly in my own research I am discovering that systematic violence against women is not considered a threat to national or gloabl peace.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0726/p09s01-coop.html
The heading ‘domestic and family violence’ is an issue and topic that hits home and is an area i am not an expert on but I am very familiar with having grown up with two parents whose fields lie mainly within social work, community and courts etc.
Having grown up with a mother who would never let me get less then an A in school because I should not ever grow up to EVER rely on a man or husband for anything, so anything I want I had better work hard to get.
Growing up and going with either parents to work and seeing the whole nitty gritt of domestic violence in our own backyards was horrible but also humbling.
The pictures, as I am now older, of the woman with the black-eye and haggered hair is pretty unrealistic in many cases. She would probably be wearing make-up and nicer-then-usual clothes and big smiles and fake laughs to hide her fear, insecurities and the front to the children and more so the community.
I am sure now the females in search for help had increased over the years, but the term of ‘battered women syndrome’ has not been domed incorrectly at all and more then seldom the wife will go back to the husband.
Though physical abuse may not be the only lashing of domestic abuse, these day the abuse of power and domineering male attitudes of complete control-the wife may go out only at certain times of the day, sensored calls and friends.
Sexual abuse-more like rape…the amount of women who have been raped by non-consensual inter-course is horrendous!But many will not report it either out of shame, fear or not knowing. Even when it is reported many cases take too long to process or do not even go through the system!!
There are mens groups out there. But the thing is, the shame that goes with it??who helps with that. I mean it is easy to sit back and say ‘fess up. But there are more complications then that that affect the whole family-but im not trying to lessen my arguement here nor my absoulute repulsement for domestic and family violence.
The use of counsellors especially in cultural instances are good. Despite it being uncomfortable at first it helps because they understand each other better (if the counsellor is of similar ethnicity.)
When Mum used to counsell such men, then after talk together with the wife as a group in comfortable surroundings the men would often comment it was easier talking to a female because it cut that macho pride crap and having that masculine barrier present where they could not cry and open up feelings fully. Also hearing from a woman and her perspective it was a real eye-opener and had a great effect. (women in power!!)
But what i love the most is when the wife (female) gets the punishment (in extreme cases) when she conspires to kill the husband in his sleep becaus she fears her life and the lives of the children.
‘Mexican researcher Juan Carlos Ramirez Rodrigeuz argues that when men are approached to talk about their violence against their partners and children it is often perceived to be confrontational. To aviod this in his own work (in Mexico) he has used a narrative approach. He lets the men tell their stories and allows the issue of violence to come up ‘naturally’ in the flow of their dialogue about their lives. This gives better results on how the men perceive, manage and justify their violence and at the same time does not separate their acts from the broader context of thier lives.’ This bit makes me think about the movie my big fat greek wedding where the mum makes it seem like the dad has come up with the idea of his daughter to work at the travel agency and he lets his daughther work there because it was his idea. How funny that the men have to be let free in telling their stories and make the issue of violence come up ‘naturally’ rather than confronting them for a better result on how they perceive, manage and justify their violence.